


A Quiet Life

by urbaninja



Series: Everyone Lives [9]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-20
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-16 06:10:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4614189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/urbaninja/pseuds/urbaninja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>CT survives an axe to the stomach, and now with the remaining Insurrectionists, attempts to find a life for herself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Quiet Life

**Author's Note:**

> Robert and Ian are my headcanon names for the Insurrectionist Leader (Pillguy) and Demo-man (Robot arm) respectively.

CT has no idea where she is when she wakes up.

 

The last thing she really remembers is pain beyond measure and then things get fuzzy and blurry. If there was any kind of afterlife, she expected to be there.

 

She didn’t expect the afterlife to look so much like a hospital room. She tries to sit up but pain rips through her abdomen instead and she collapses back on the bed. She looks down and finds her stomach heavily bandaged and a memory runs sharply through her mind.

 

Tex. Carolina. The data. An axe.

 

It had all happened so fast. Death should have been a certainty.

 

She shakes her head, trying to get rid of the medication that’s making her head fuzzy when something stirs beside her on the bed. She looks over. Robert is sitting in a chair. Well, not really sitting but hunched in an odd position that lets his headrest on the mattress at an awkward angle. CT watches as he stirs again, his eyes opening slowly as he sits up, wincing.

 

Finally, his gaze finds hers and his expression turns into one of relief.

 

“Hey,” he says.

 

“Hey,” she replies.

 

He stands quickly, mumbling about getting a doctor despite her protests and desires to learn what had happened. She glares at the door in frustration as he leaves in a trail of excuses.

 

**

 

It takes her a few days to learn the whole story.

 

Doctors poking and prodding her, making sure that she’s all right because she’s “been out for a while” take up the in-between time. It isn’t until she’s well on the mend that Robert finally fills her in.

 

CT isn’t happy to hear any of it.

 

They’d managed to escape, CT barely alive though Robert pumped her full of biofoam and got them to the nearest military hospital. They’d managed to save her, but she’d been out for a week. The data that they’d managed to recover wasn’t so lucky.

 

“We’re alive, that’s what matters,” Robert says, but he’s not looking at her.

 

“Did anyone else survive?” she asks, doubtfully. The Freelancers were thorough. Her question is answered by a sliding door.

 

“I did,” Ian says, smiling slightly. CT notices that he’s sporting a second robotic arm now. Ian shrugs. “Shit happens. As far as I’m concerned, this just means I owe them interest.”

 

CT lets herself smile, but deep down she feels lost. If they didn’t get the data, if they couldn’t put Project Freelancer down, then what was the point?

 

**

 

As CT get stronger, they argue about what to do next.

 

What they get from the data card isn’t useful. What they need is corrupted and broken. Robert says they should turn it in anyway, but CT demands to know what the point of that would be. They’d just be telling them stuff they’d already know. Ian is on the fence, but points out that what they have is probably worth more to Charon than anyone else at this point.

 

No one is happy.

 

Except for the CEO, who takes the data and CT’s armor for a time. They’re sent back to base to await further orders.

 

**

 

From there they await orders and try to pick up the pieces.

 

Robert tries to make contact with everyone else. But he can’t. There’s no way of returning to that base to determine if they survived or not. They can only wait until they’re contacted, but each day that seems less and less likely. It weighs heavy on him, CT notices. Ian tries his best to support him, but she can see the weight on his shoulders as well.

 

She wishes she could help, but that was never her team. Her thoughts are of a different group, and even though she betrayed them CT still worries about them. She wonders constantly about the implantations, how they’re doing, how Wash’s implantation went, if Tex found her message. There’s a part of her that wants to reach out, make contact somehow but she knows that would only end in disaster.

 

All they can do is sit and wait.

 

And it sucks.

 

**

 

They’re sent out to the desert.

 

It’s an unexpected mission. The assistant to the sub-committee chairman gives it to them. They’re to go out to the desert to find an artifact. It breaks up the monotony so they agree. CT’s armour is returned as well. Just in case, they’re told.

 

They meet up with the rest of the team in a nearby base and the mission is explained in more detail. They’re to join up with some Aliens to the recover the artifact. It seems simple, but they’ve received word that a UNSC team has also arrived on the site and that might hinder their operations. But that’s a bridge to cross when they come to it.

 

The people they have joined up with are tentative in their planning, so Robert takes charge. He organizes them, and speeds up the plans, and if anyone resents the new aggressive charge they’re taking, they don’t say. The Aliens fall in line when they make contact, Robert being surprisingly effective at communicating with them. He picks up their language fast, even if all it sounds like is blargs and honks.

 

The only snag they hit is the desert itself.

 

The wind and sand are brutal. The sand blows everywhere. The sand blows into Ian’s joints and gums up his arms. Ian cannot move his arms. He is effectively glued to the steering wheel of the warthog.

 

It’s inappropriate to laugh but both Robert and CT cannot help themselves. The situation is too ridiculous not to, and it feels good to laugh and release a lot of the tension that’s been heavy on their shoulders. Ian’s protests only make them laugh harder until they finally recover enough to help him.

 

**

 

Ian and CT return to the base, CT driving the warthog because Ian can’t.

 

Before they leave, CT and Robert switch armor. Robert protests but CT is adamant.

 

“You need it more than me,” She says, though Robert notes the reluctance in her voice. She’s not sure why she’s doing it. She feels naked without the armor, but at the same time she wants to get away from it. She’s not CT of Project Freelancer anymore. She shouldn’t even be calling herself CT. But for some reason she can’t let go of the name.

 

The drive out of the desert is a long one.

 

**

 

CT and Ian hole up in the base.

 

Robert keeps them posted at what’s happening on the dig. The UNSC team is dealt with and they’ve assumed operations for Charon. They haven’t found anything yet and the Aliens are less than helpful in getting the temple going.

 

The base is about as pleasant as the desert, so CT finds herself doing most of the outside work, collecting Intel and helping to decipher the information that’s sent to them. Ian doesn’t want to go outside for fear that his arms will jam again. She likes being able to wander around outside, although she keeps her head down and doesn’t talk so much as listen.

 

She doesn’t feel as jumpy here, compared to at Freelancer, but then she’s actually working with these people, not just pretending. It doesn’t stop her thoughts from going back to Project Freelancer though, wishing she had some idea of what was going on there. But attempting to establish any sort of contact would be suicide right now. And she won’t count on Charon to protect them.

 

She wants to talk to someone about it but all she really has is Ian right now, and somehow she doesn’t think he’ll be of much help. He doesn’t have the highest opinion of Freelancers after all.

 

**

 

CT learns to find beauty in the desert.

 

It’s hard at first, since it’s such a harsh and unending landscape. Nothing but sand as far as the eye can see, and not a lot of vegetation or large rocks to break up the view.

 

But there are times when it’s pretty. Sunrise and sunset especially, when the light reflecting off the sand turns it shades of red and the shadows change the dunes in various ways. As the heat of the day turns to the cool of the night.

 

CT likes those times best.

 

**

 

Robert visits regularly and gives them updates on the dig.

 

They’ve managed to find the temple and are in the process of excavating it. It’s hard work and when the sand starts blowing, it feels like any progress they make disappears overnight. CT finds herself curious, and wants to go out with him. Ian’s fine with it, but Robert isn’t so sure.

 

“It’s the Aliens!” he explains, “They’re…I just don’t think it’s safe. They don’t like people.”

 

“So? I’ll avoid them, and I can take care of myself, Robert. Armor or no armor. Remember, I’m still letting you use mine.” She glares at him, a glared that easily cowed most of the other freelancers (even Carolina sometimes). He sighs.

 

“Fine.”

 

**

 

The ruins are amazing.

 

CT is fascinated by them. They’re bigger than she expected and more worn, the desert winds having done their work. She can only wonder how long they’ve been there. Robert and his team can guess a couple thousand years but it’s been hard to actually pin a number down.

 

She spends her time wandering around them alone or with Robert. The aliens watch her when she’s nearby but otherwise don’t do anything. She can tell when they’re talking about the ruins though, the strange blarg-honk language they speak taking on a reverent tone.

 

She helps with the digging while she’s out there and finds she enjoys the work. It’s amazing to unearth something and then have to do everything to prevent the sand from falling back in. But she also likes the way the sand feels through her fingers. Robert wishes it was more like a beach but CT has grown fond of the desert.

 

When the sunsets on the ruins it’s absolutely stunning and a sight that she is determined not to forget.

 

**

 

She’d never admit it, but she thinks often of the other Freelancers. It’s hard not to think of them as her old team, because that’s who they were. Once upon a time. She’d trained beside them, fought beside them, had those quiet moments of worry and frustration and the loud ones of celebration over a successful mission. They were a team.

 

Her thoughts are filled with a variety of things. Worry, concern, hope, anger. She’s scared for them. Not because she believes the project shouldn’t be stopped, but for what might happen to them once it does. They were just puppets being jerked around, innocent despite their involvement. Or so she hopes.

 

She thinks about Wyoming, Maine and Florida, quietly following orders without too much fuss, doing their jobs. (She remembers Florida’s warmth, Wyoming’s jokes, and Maine’s solid presence.)

 

She thinks about North and South, who had been arguing more and more towards the end. (She remembers North’s compassion and South’s determination.)

 

She thinks about York and his mounting concern, Carolina and her constant training, Wash and his desperation to hold onto something. (She remembers York’s relaxed demeanor, Carolina’s leadership, and Wash’s friendship. Though there are times when she wishes she didn’t).

 

She thinks a lot about Tex. She trusts Tex to do the right thing with the information she left behind. (She wishes she had gotten to know the enigmatic soldier better.)

 

**

 

Digging up the ruins is a slow process, but it comes along steadily. In a way it’s amazing, humans and aliens working together after the war. The tensions are there though and rarely ever go slack. It gets harder and harder for Robert to relax. CT can see it when he comes back. He sits rigidly, as if anticipating an explosion.

 

CT has to admit she’s been waiting for things to blow up in their faces since they got there, but she’d never say it out loud.

 

It starts with the arrival of a UNSC team. They’d shown up at the dig site, expecting to get started and surprised by how much had been done. Apparently things weren’t scheduled to start until now and they had no idea of Charon’s involvement. It makes everyone nervous.

 

“And you killed them?” CT says, exasperated. Robert shakes his head, putting them in his hands.

 

“I didn’t, at least, not personally. I think it was the aliens, but I’m not sure,” He replies, sounding almost hysterical. The situation had gotten out of control and Robert found himself with four dead UNSC agents.

 

They hope it wouldn’t be a problem. That they were just slide back into obscurity.

 

Instead he shows up.

 

Lavernius Tucker.

 

And the situation gets a lot worse.

 

From what CT can get out of Robert’s dinnertime ramblings is that he and his “son” just showed up and started asking questions. Robert’s not even sure how he has a son because the son is clearly an alien, blargs, honks and all. Robert’s doing his best to hide their activities and keep things calm but his men are getting antsy. The Aliens, at least, seem to be listening. At least he thinks they are.

 

But his control over the situation is limited. And CT starts counting down to the inevitable explosion.

 

**

 

The countdown is longer than CT expects.

 

Instead tensions continue to mount and Robert spends more and more time out at the dig site. CT is tempted to head out there but Ian talks her out of it. There’d be nothing she could do anyway with how volatile things are out there. But she hates being on the sidelines.

 

And so she bristles, and tries to help in her own way. She reaches out to old contacts and does research, trying to find out what she can about Tucker. The more she does, the less she’s impressed, especially with the difficulty Robert is having with him. Ian agrees, wishing that he could go out into the desert to take charge of the situation, but he really doesn’t want to have his joints gummed up with sand again.

 

Instead, they just have to sit and wait and try not to bang their heads against the table as Robert reports that Tucker has gotten into the temple and effectively locked them out.

 

**

 

CT knows that they’ve reached zero when they receive a garbled transmission from Robert. Something’s happened at the dig site and they’re the backup. Ian’s face is in a tight line as he throws stuff in the jeep while CT grabs what she can before leaping in and gunning it out there. It’s the backup plan they’ve had for weeks.

 

When she gets out there, she finds the dig site strangely quiet and not in a good way. She parks her warthog behind some ruins, counting on the wind to cover her tracks. She can see signs of combat, and a few fallen bodies. Something definitely happened here.

 

Her guard is up as she continues to look for Robert, hoping she doesn’t have to count him among the corpses. She’s tempted to call out but that would just give her away and if whoever won is still around something tells her they won’t be thrilled at finding her here. Instead she keeps low, moving in and out of the ruins, keeping out of sight.

 

She freezes when she hears voices. She can’t make them out but they seem to be shouting, and are mixed in with the blargs and honks of the aliens. That confirms some suspicions, but she has no idea if these new humans are working with the aliens. It doesn’t sound like anyone’s started shooting yet though.

 

She has to hurry up.

 

CT goes to leave her current hiding spot but stops short as two soldiers in armor that she’s never seen before walk by. They haven’t noticed her but she’s reluctant to even breath.

 

“Hey, Simmons, what do we do with the dead guy up there?”

 

“The jackass that Church shot? Somehow. I don’t know, leave him?”

 

“That’s helpful. Should we ask Tucker?”

 

“I think he’s a little busy with the aliens.”

 

“Busy doing what? All they ever say is blarg and honk and he sucks just as much at translating than the last time we ran into one. Ambassador my ass.”

 

The two soldiers leave and CT breaths. Robert is dead? She needs to confirm for herself and looks up. Vaguely she can see an arm hanging off a narrow bridge. With a quick look around, she goes to find a way up there.

 

It’s surprisingly easy, as if it was meant to be found though the reason is long since forgotten. Robert is lying there in her armor. There’s an acrid stench in the air of a number of things burning and CT doesn’t want to guess what they are. She creeps along the bridge but no one is looking up, no one notices her.

 

Robert is still breathing, but barely. She has to get him back to base quick, but with the armor; he’ll be too heavy for her to carry. Or at the very least, she’ll be noticed.

 

CT knows what she has to do.

 

Piece by piece the armor is removed and set aside. The chest piece takes the longest due to Robert’s wound and CT has to admit she’s disgusted. It looks like he took a strong laser blast. She does what she can to bandage the wound. It’s not enough, but it’s a start. All she can do is trust that Robert holds on.

 

“Hold on,” she says, through gritted teeth, pulling his prone body onto her shoulder. Getting him down and back to the warthog is going to be a nightmare but the new people seem to have moved on so hopefully she can do it unnoticed.

 

As she turns she sees her helmet. It stares at her with blank eyes and CT is frozen. She can’t really say why but she’s filled with a reluctance to leave it behind. The armor was evidence (that didn’t really mean anything); it saved Robert’s life (and it’s damaged beyond repair, it’s useless). It’s her connection to Freelancer (but you would do the same thing if it was Washington).

 

That last thought is what seals it and she turns, dragging Robert down the stairs and leaving it behind.

 

**

 

And just like that they are back to square one.

 

Almost quite literally. Although this time it’s CT at the bedside while Robert recovers from life-threatening injuries. She almost has to laugh. Instead she takes the lukewarm coffee from Ian and settles into her chair.

 

Ian paces about the room, restless. CT knows he’s worried about Robert and that he hates that all they can do is wait. CT finds she is impatient as well. She wants answers to what happened, wants to know how to all fell apart. And probably most importantly, what they’re going to do from here. Charon won’t tolerate this failure, but are they worth enough that the Chairman will track them down?

 

CT doesn’t think so, but then she also can’t claim to know the mind of Malcolm Hargrove.

 

Once Robert is recovered enough, they leave quietly during the night. They don’t know where they’re going, just away from where they are. They drive until their warthog is out of gas, and stop at the first motel they see. Hopefully it’s far away enough that they can at least rest before they fill up and continue the journey tomorrow.

 

CT swears she sees South, or at least hears here voice, but figures it can’t be. And even if it were, what would she even say?

 

**

 

They drift for as long as they can; never staying in any place to long until they’re certain no one is following them. Once that happens, they allow themselves to become more lax and stay in places for longer. In some cases they even get temporary jobs, enough to have an emergency fund and some decent meals.

 

It’s usually manual labor of some kind. Construction, rebuilding areas that were particularly hard hit during the war. CT finds she doesn’t mind the work.

 

The day comes when it’s Ian’s turn to be the one in the hospital bed, though his injuries are not as fatal as CT’s or Robert’s. He’d been working a construction job, and had been up on a support when he’d lost his balance and fallen. His leg was impaled on a metal rod and they’d had no choice but to amputate.

 

There’s a tension in the room as Robert tries not to laugh. Less at his injury and more at the way the universe seems determined to de-limb Ian. Ian just insists on a robot leg.

 

The doctors say it will be ready in a few days. CT and Robert nod and say goodnight to Ian before heading home. They stop and get groceries and then return to the hotel where they’ve been living. An extended stay spot with a kitchenette. It’s surprisingly domestic, especially as they sit and watch the news after dinner.

 

CT doesn’t know how she feels about it. There was a time when she wanted a life like this, but that was a fantasy, one she could never dwell on for too long. After all, she had bigger things to worry and had to be worried about the present rather than the future. That’s still true in a way, but it’s weird how the future is becoming more of a focus for her. And CT is more surprised that she doesn’t mind.

 

Not wanting to be left out of her ruminations, the past makes itself abruptly known.

 

And they find themselves staring at Leonard Church, the former Director of Project Freelancer, and the designer of Ian’s new robot leg.

**

 

The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. Aside from a brief look once he walked in the door, Church makes no indication that he has met them before. Instead he calmly enters the room and speaks to Ian, discussing what will happen next.

 

CT doesn’t hear the conversation, barely notices the nurses who enter the room. Her fists are clenched and she wants to demand answers or throw a punch and she’s not sure what to do first. Robert’s hand is tight on her shoulder. She can feel his fingers digging into her shoulder and knows that he’s just as angry and the action is there to restrain both of them.

 

CT has no idea how long Church is in the room but before she knows it, Ian is up and walking and it brings her back to reality. Church looks satisfied and CT frowns. Ian, however, is surprisingly grateful, though CT can hear an edge in his voice. Church provides a few more instructions for rehab and states that Ian will have to be in the hospital for a few more days to run tests. However it shouldn’t take long.

 

On the way out, he turns back to CT and their eyes meet.

 

“I will be at Andersmith’s around nine if you want to talk,” is all he says. He sounds tired, older, more worn down than CT remembers. All she does is nod.

 

**

 

Andersmith’s turns out to be a diner. The outside is shabby and worn, with a neon sign that has the M burned out and the A is starting to fade. The inside, however, is clean and vaguely comforting. It’s mostly empty aside from a family at a table by the door and a couple regulars at the bar.

 

Church is sitting at a booth at the other end of the restaurant, finishing a meal. CT and Robert slide in across from them and he acknowledges them with a nod. CT opens her mouth to talk but is stopped by a server who asks if they want anything. They both decline quickly, so the server takes Church’s plate away and tops off his coffee.

 

They sit in silence as Church calmly takes a sip.

 

“What are you doing here?” CT hisses finally. She wants to shout but she doesn’t want to draw attention to herself. “Shouldn’t you be in jail?”

 

“While I was put on trial, the courts could not find enough evidence to convict me,” Church replies calmly, “But I was left with nothing. This was the first place that hired me, so it’s where I’ve stayed.”

 

“And what about Project Freelancer? What about everyone else?”

 

“Project Freelancer is no more. The Oversight Committee has absorbed what assets were left. I don’t know what happened to any other agents, aside from Carolina and Washington, both of whom are still alive.”

 

The last piece of information is what registers in CT’s mind. Carolina and Wash are alive. Wash is alive. She’s fixated on this thought, not sure what to do with it (should she try to find him? And Carolina? By the way the Director’s talking they’re travelling together).

 

She’s pulled away from that thought when she hears Robert speak up, though she misses the question he asks.

 

“You didn’t know?” Church replies, “I thought you worked for Charon?”

 

“We did, but we don’t anymore. Now we’re just drifters,” Robert replies, “And I haven’t been keeping track of Charon’s activities since then. For certain reasons we’ve had to keep a low profile.”

 

Church doesn’t pry, but CT suspects he’s figured out the reason. His face doesn’t change, and CT finds herself noticing that like the rest of him, it’s tired, worn, and not the impassive one she remembers from her Freelancer days. The years haven’t been kind to him it seems.

 

“I can tell you that Charon is doing quite well for itself, business-wise,” Church says, taking another sip of coffee. “Though there have been rumors of shady activity.”

 

Robert snorts.

 

“So nothing’s changed, is what you’re telling me,” he says derisively. The ghost of a smile appears on Church’s face.

 

“So it would seem. Hargrove’s interest in alien artifacts persists, and lately there’s been some attention paid to a small planet at the edge of colonized space. Chorus, I believe it is called.”

 

“Why?” Robert asks before CT can stop him. She doesn’t know what game Church is playing and she doesn’t like it, and the less details he has the better. Though she can’t deny her own curiosity.

 

“It appears to have a large deposit of the alien artifacts he covets. A lot of ships have been going missing in that area of space as well,” Church replies.

 

“Why are you telling us this?” CT finally snaps. “What are you after?”

 

Church is quiet for what seems like a long time.

 

“I don’t know. Charon, Hargrove’s actions concern me if he is truly involved with this planet. I know him to be an ambitious man and we’ve all seen what ambition can do to someone. I want to learn his true intentions.”

 

CT nods, staring at the table. She doesn’t know what to do with this information but she can feel her grudge against the Director starting to fade. There’s remorse in what he said, like he clearly regrets his actions.

 

“I have contacts,” Robert’s voice enters her thoughts, somewhat muffled. “I can try to find out more information on Hargrove. I admit I’m curious about what he’s doing now.”

 

They leave the diner shortly after. CT is quiet, her mind all over the place with the information they’ve received. She’s kicking herself for not taking control of the conversation and now Robert has agreed to share information.

 

She lies awake at night, trying to process it all.

 

**

 

A few weeks pass and CT finds herself in the same booth, half-listening to the conversation between Church and Robert. Ian is there as well, though he’s more interested in his piece of pie.

 

Robert’s contacts have come through, revealing that the situation on Chorus is direr than anyone could have predicted. Charon is involved, and has hired a pair of well-known mercenaries to recover the artifacts. It’s hard to say exactly how, but with the way ships are disappearing, it’s clear they don’t want anyone to know. Which naturally leads to everyone assuming the worst.

 

“Dead men tell no tales,” Robert says in conclusion. The implications of the statement settle over the table like a heavy fog. Church’s hand is clenched into a fist in anger. It’s the first familiar gesture Church has made since they’ve encountered each other. And CT finds that she agrees.

 

“When faced with extinction, every alternative is preferable,” she murmurs and Church looks at her, surprised. She hadn’t intended to say that out loud, much less quote him. “Does that apply to humans?”

 

“It does. I won’t stand for genocide,” Church says, meeting her eyes. Somehow, that edge she remembers in them has returned. She remembers why she was all right joining Project Freelancer at the start.

 

It was a way to end the war.

 

And just like that, a path becomes clear.

 

**

 

“I didn’t think we’d ever end up here,” Robert says. They’re back at the room they’re renting. Ian has gone to bed and CT had stepped out on the balcony for air.

 

“Neither did I, but it’s nice to have a purpose again.”

 

“A damn insane one, “ Robert says, but she can tell he agrees. It makes her smile and they stand in silence for a time, looking out at the lights of the city, feeling the night air.

 

“I’m sorry,” he says finally.

 

“Why?”

 

“I promised you a quiet life after you left Freelancer. That, didn’t really happen.”

 

CT has to laugh. With everything that’s happened, she’d honestly forgotten that promise. Not that she’d ever believed in it. Both of them would never be able to settle down, not the way they were.

 

“It’s fine. I don’t mind where things are now. And we both know it never would have worked.”

 

Robert gives a small laugh.

 

“You’re right. Well, we’ve got a big day tomorrow, so get some sleep.”

 

“I will.” But she stays on the balcony for a bit longer, staring out into the night. Reflecting on how she got to this place. Wondering what the other Freelancers would think. After all she’s about to get involved with something dangerous with someone she doesn’t entirely trust, for a reason she can’t really define beyond the fact that it’s the right thing to do (she hopes).

 

Her thoughts drift to Wash and somehow, she thinks he might understand. Maybe if they meet again, she can ask.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was probably the hardest Everyone Lives fic to date. Next up will be the Director and then maybe I'll start actually getting to canon stuff.


End file.
